Reviving McCarthyism is anachronistic

Around 70 years ago, the United States was haunted by McCarthyism when then-Senator Joseph McCarthy incited anti-Communist hysteria in the country. It is startling to see that similar ideological bigotry is resurfacing three decades after the end of the Cold War.

Spurred by the Cold War mentality and election anxieties, some US politicians have spared no efforts in attacking the Communist Party of China (CPC), ranging from China's political system to the COVID-19 fight and issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Taiwan. Recently the US administration was even reportedly weighing travel restrictions on all CPC members from visiting the country. Hyping up the so-called "red menace," they intend to define China-US relations with ideological confrontation and cover up their real strategic agenda to contain China.

These US politicians seem to still live in the Cold War era, and they are planning coordinated action to gang up on the world's biggest developing country. Long gone are the times when ideological manipulation dominated interaction among states. Mankind is already in the 21st century featuring globalization and instigation of hatred and confrontation runs counter to the trend of the times.

History has witnessed the achievements China has made under the leadership of the CPC. Starting with only dozens of members, today the CPC has grown into a political party with over 91 million members and has long been the ruling party in the world's most populous country. With the strong leadership of the CPC, China has contributed over 30 percent to global economic growth for years in running and over 70 percent to global poverty reduction. Advocating the principle of peaceful coexistence, China is the largest contributor of peacekeepers among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

These are all facts the whole world is fully aware of, which will never be erased by some US politicians' slanderous accusations. Neglecting the success of the CPC will definitely gain no support.

Recently a group of former statesmen and scholars from 48 countries initiated an online event themed "A new Cold War against China is against the interests of humanity." A joint statement named "No to the New Cold War" was issued in 14 languages, which epitomized a strong call for the US side to stop forming an anti-China coalition and dividing the world.

The revival of McCarthyism will drag China and the United States into conflict and confrontation, and plunge the world into chaos and division again. China has no intention to replace the United States, nor will it be intimidated by the hostile words and acts of some US politicians. The Chinese people will only rally more closely around the CPC and work together with other countries for a community with a shared future for mankind.

More than 40 years ago when the Cold War was at its climax, leaders of China and the United States managed to set aside ideological differences and normalized bilateral ties. The past 40-plus years have witnessed a more than 250-fold increase in bilateral trade, around 2.6 million American jobs supported by China and a total of 72,500 US companies investing in China. Needless to mention the critical role of the world's two largest economies in tackling global challenges.

It is imperative for the biased US politicians to stop smearing the CPC and hijacking the international community onto their anti-Communism and anti-China chariot. Otherwise, they will fall into the pit they have dug themselves.